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In Reply to: Mstislav Rostropovich... posted by orejones on April 27, 2007 at 04:31:36:
nt
Follow Ups:
SE is right. I did misread your post. My bad.
I enjoyed your post.When I heard the news of Rostropovich's death, I had a memory flash of one of his TV interviews. It was during Gorbachev's perestroika. R. made his first visit to USSR after long years of exile. He was traveling on board a train from Moscow to St. Petersburg, accompanied by a young rising TV anchor and his camera man. The boy was of the most nasty and arrogant kind of his profession, nothing sacred. He tried to get on equal footing with R, but had no success. With his signature smile, R. answered questions in a few words, and always in such a way that the boy appeared stupid. The boy, not accustomed to such treatment, finally lost his patience and asked point-blank: why you are not returning to USSR? Now we have freedom here, and your citizenship has been restored. Are you more comfortable in the West? R., with even more charming smile, immediately replied: Who has freedom? You? You don't have any. You cannot go abroad. But I have freedom. I can go anywhere I want, and me speaking here with you is proof. You probably don't realize that I am at home here more than you are.
What is greatness as a musician?You may have cellists you prefer to listen to, but Rostropovich advanced the standard of cello playing immensely during his lifetime, and was extraordinarily well respected by other professionals as well as the public. If you ask any of the current crop of cellists who their influences were, Rostropovich would be at or near the top of the list for most of them. He not only "owned" certain works, he premiered a great number of new works by young composers, and was a tireless voice for freedom.
It was my great priviledge to be in the audience 5 years ago, at Cargenie Hall for a concert by Rostropovich. Sitting next to me was a professor of cello, a well known and highly respected pedagog, who had come up from Philadelphia just for this concert, student in tow. There was no doubting his regard for Rostropovich. And there was no doubting the tears in the eyes and joy in the voices of the audience as everyone stood and sang Happy Birthday to Slava at the end of the concert, honoring his 75th.
There are some cellists who can match (and yes, a few who can surpass) his technical ability. But there are few who have or ever will approach his influence as an artist or a man in the world of classical music. Rostropovich was a great musician by any meaningful definition.
I think you've misread sser2's post. I'm pretty sure sser2 is saying, "Not ONLY was Rostropovich a great musician, he ALSO had a "sharp mind" (for many things other than music)...which alludes to his political/humanitarian work etc.
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